Snuggle and Seek
by indehed
Summary: (McDanno) Danny Williams grew up in Hawaii before heading back to New Jersey for college. When his ex-wife moved with their daughter back to Honolulu it prompts Danny to reminisce about his childhood friendships, only for the most important one to crash back into his life.
1. Snuggle and Seek

**Genre: Alternate Universe - High School (met as kids)**  
 **Pairing: Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams**  
 **Spoilers/Warnings: none**  
 **Author's note: Written in a slightly different style than I normally would but I just let it flow this way. A little bit experimental. This whole story began as a fledgling idea of wee!Steve and wee!Danny playing hide and seek and giggling while snuggled close to each other under a bed while hiding. yup.**

 **Thanks to Paulette for the beta again.**

 **Originally published (on ao3): June 2013**

* * *

Danny's parents had divorced not long after his little brother was born. He had no real memory of it, he'd been nothing much more than a toddler at the time himself, but he had this vague recollection of saying goodbye to his father; clutching his blue stuffed giraffe close to his chest and holding back tears as he held onto his older sister's hand walking through the airport.

It wasn't that his father didn't love them. He loved them very much, but his mother decided to move to Hawaii so she could get help with the four kids. So they had moved to where her sister and husband were. Danny's father was a firefighter, he was always on call and couldn't be relied on so well to always be there when needed, it had probably in part led to the breakdown in the marriage, as he gave so much of his time to the job rather than his family. Danny didn't remember much, he did know he resented his father for a long time when he was a teenager, but as a young kid he'd always appreciated him as a hero, and his mother had tried her best to make sure all the kids remembered that. Even if they didn't love each other enough to stay together as a mom and dad. Even though they were now thousands of miles from their father.

There were letters, and phone calls. There were presents; they spent the summers in New Jersey. They never once felt like their father was truly absent. He still had a say in things and if there was a problem he was on the other end of the phone to help where he could.

He remembered his first day at school. Funny, he didn't remember much of his early school years, but he remembered letting go of his mother's hand and bounding into the classroom. He'd been excited. He'd wanted to learn, he'd wanted to be with kids his own age to have fun with them and the toys inside that classroom had been so inviting.

But once inside, he'd felt a strange shyness. Normally so outgoing, so vocal - something honed in an early life with three siblings - he was suddenly struck a little bit dumb when faced with so many more faces and hearing so many new voices.

There was one boy. One who stood out.

Steven.

He was bigger than Danny (but Danny was on the shorter side and from then on, always would be) and he smiled wide at Danny and held his hand out like he'd been taught by his own father and introduced himself and somehow, from then on, the two had been inseparable.

It was funny, looking back. They'd had a lot of adventures, the two of them, and when they were four, it had been no further than the end of the sandbox, but they'd lived all sorts of fantasy lives. Pirates, cowboys, space explorers, they'd done the lot.

Even with simple games, these two boys stuck close together. When playing hide and seek with the rest of the class, they'd always hid together. They'd watched the Three Musketeers together at Danny's house and from then on decided that they'd stick together, brothers in arms. There was one time they'd been hiding while playing at Meka's house and they'd hid under the bed, squeezed between two storage boxes. Essentially, they'd been spooning, with Danny in front and Steve's arms wrapped around him. Danny constantly reminding Steve to not let his feet slip out and give them away. He had no idea how long they'd been hiding there but it had felt like eternity before they'd been caught. And only then, it was because they'd giggled and been heard. He was sure if they'd been quiet, they'd have lasted a lot longer.

As they got older, and taller, Steve always towered over Danny and so it was easy for him to sling an arm around his shoulder, hug him from behind. Steve would jump on top of Danny all the time, trying to get the smaller boy to the ground in a light-hearted wrestling match. It was no wonder that although short, Danny was building up strong in the chest.

By high school they were still the best of friends. People just took it for granted that they were around each other so if one wasn't there, the other would be asked for details. Other kids, teachers, everyone just assumed. If one was sick, the other was given the homework to take round. If one was in detention, then… well, the other would be, too. Their parents never worried about anything happening to them when they were out together because they trusted them to look after each other.

Steve's energy and determination leant him to being a good sportsman. His height and build made him a great quarterback and Danny was always at the games to cheer him on, always sporting the red colors of Kukui High. When it was baseball season it was Danny's turn to be in the limelight more and Steve would be in the crowds then to cheer him on in return.

It wasn't just all Steve and Danny, though. There was a group of them that hung around together. Meka and Amy were around a lot and a few others from the team or the Science club Steve liked or the Debate club that Danny took part in. Occasionally, being that they were such nice people, Mary and Matty were allowed into their circle to hang out. They always brought their friends too, so the little crowd at the beach could get to be quite large sometimes. By the time they were 16, it was expected that Danny would grouch about the sand by about the ten minute mark. He didn't so much mean it anymore, but it was always worth it for the look on Steve's face as he then did his best to extol the virtues of paradise.

Danny would always hate pineapple, though.

It wasn't perfect. High school never is. He had some rose tinted glasses, looking back, because he and Steve had been such great friends, but there was the odd fight (usually over stupid things) or there were people who didn't like them. Other groups of kids who didn't like that Steve was class president, head quarterback, smart, and yet totally laid-back in his popularity. Danny would never let Steve develop a big head, so he'd never been the mean popular kid. But because he was basically a nice guy who seemed to have it all, there were kids who had it out for him.

They usually tried to pick on Danny first. He was the shorter of the two, more outspoken, and much more of a haole than Steve was. When that happened, Steve would go into protective mode, despite Danny's protests, and yes, they'd come close to being suspended when the fight had broken out, leaving Steve with a dislocated shoulder and his arm in a sling for two weeks, while Danny tore his ACL and wound up on crutches.

The other guys looked worse.

After that, there had been no more in the way of fist fights. Instead, everything came down to a war of words between the two tribes.

He remembered a day, it was lunchtime. Their group was out by one of the tables. Amy, Meka and Steve were all sitting beside each other, the rest of them were in a circle on the grass in front. There wasn't much room left when Danny arrived and Steve had lifted himself up onto the table part and opened his legs so that Danny could sit on the bench in front of him. He'd given him an easy smile and a wink and Danny had grumbled about how Steve had some kind of mental problem about how chairs worked. But he'd sat down nonetheless.

He'd then had to force Steve to lower his 'freakishly long giraffe legs' by pushing down hard on them so he could actually see the rest of their friends rather than just Steve's knees. Steve had loosely folded his ankles around Danny's lap, and Danny had leaned back against Steve with his arms over each thigh like Steve was his own personal arm chair.

Because that was the thing. They'd always been close physically as well. They touched each other a lot, they had no problem with being in each others' personal space and it had become second nature as they grew up. Regardless of any kind of Feelings, with a capital F, it was just normal. And neither boy would have it any other way.

Then the other group had come by. They'd wolf-whistled and made fun of them, calling them gay, queer, fags, anything they thought would be derogatory. Danny had scowled at them, shouted back something he was sure at the time had been scathing, though he couldn't remember what it was now, and Steve had leaned over him, wrapped his arms around Danny's neck like the genetic experiment of human sliced with octopus and giraffe that he was and resoundedly left a smacking kiss on the top of his head.

Because that's who they were.

They were two boys who loved each other very much, had been friends for as long as they could remember and they just… fit. They were comfortable in their own skins… and each others'.

They were happy for the longest time.

And then Steve's mother had died.

His father had decided he was to be sent to the mainland and there was nothing Steve could do. The night before Steve left he'd come to Danny's place. They'd cried a little, not caring about being 'manly' and stoic and had promised each other that everything would be okay and that they'd still be able to be best friends even over a distance.

Steve had stayed at Danny's that night. Usually they'd lie on the bed together, but in sleeping bags they'd had since they were ten. But tonight, they'd wrapped themselves in Danny's comforter, pulled it over their heads and blocked out the world. Steve had wrapped himself around Danny's smaller frame and they'd fallen asleep together spooned like they would when playing hide and seek at the age of six.

They tried. They really did. At first they'd phone all the time, but then the adults in their lives had chastised them for the massive phone bills and they'd been forced to speak less. Emails helped, but weren't the same.

Danny had decided after graduation to head back to the east coast and to his father. Steve was also on the east coast, so being in the same time zone would help them out. But it wasn't that simple. They were growing up and long distance friendships were difficult. They'd made new friends, though it wasn't the same. Danny was heading to the Newark Police Academy after college and Steve was determined to join the Navy.

After a few dorm moves, they no longer knew each others' addresses and then Danny lost track of Steve entirely when his email address stopped working. He didn't know where Steve was on assignments and besides, he was studying to become Detective and that took up a lot of his time, so he put off getting back in touch properly until after. It was just that 'after' never actually came.

They always had the back up of Steve's dad and Danny's mom in Hawaii to let the other know anything important and that seemed to be enough. It was a shame, but life moved on and childhood friendships didn't always last.

Then Danny met Rachel and had Grace. And then their marriage fell apart and Rachel remarried and somehow, in some kind of wacky circle of life, Danny found himself back in Hawaii, back in Honolulu and thinking about his greatest childhood friend. The boy he'd loved and held onto the memory of.

He'd never met anyone like Steve and never would again. He compared everyone he met to Steve and always wondered if he could be as close to anyone again as he had been to Steve.

When John McGarrett was murdered, Danny had asked to be put on the case. It seemed right. He'd do it for Steve, wherever Steve was. He didn't know what the Navy's protocol was now for what Steve could and couldn't do. Steve hadn't been back to Hawaii in the years since he'd left, he didn't know if Steve even wanted to come back.

Then it happened.

He'd been upstairs, standing in Steve's old room, recalling childhood memories and being swept up in the past when he'd heard movement downstairs. He unholstered his gun and quietly made his way down, avoiding the creaky step he still remembered from his youth.

Making his way into the garage, he saw the other man from behind and began shouting at him. In the next moment they had their weapons trained on one another and identical shocked looks. Because there was no mistaking who the other was, even if they hadn't been in proper contact in years.

"Danny?"

"Steve."

Surprised was one word for it, but there were plenty more. Danny still hadn't realized Steve knew what was going on, let alone had the time to come home. Steve told Danny his dad had mentioned months ago in an email that Danny was back in Hawaii, but he'd thought he meant for a vacation, not to live.

Like he was drawn to Steve, magnetized, he made his way over. While the blood thrummed in his ears he reached a hand out to Steve's shoulder and it made it's way to cup loosely around his friend's neck. "I can't believe you're here."

Steve's eyes changed in a way that only Danny could recognize. He was keeping things in check, hiding his feelings deep down but that change in his eyes spoke to Danny of whatever pain he was feeling over his father's death and anything else that had led him to this point. It was minute, it was fleeting, but in that moment they were kids again and Danny could see that Steve just wanted to lean into his touch and lose himself. "Same here," Steve tried to smile. "I'm really glad you're here."

"Listen," Danny stepped back and turned. "I know it's your dad and all, but I can't have you around. You know the drill, it's a crime scene."

"You're the detective they put on the case? Chin never said it was you."

"Chin Ho Kelly? Wow, there's a name I've not heard in a while. They don't talk about him at the precinct. Mind you, apart from Meka, they don't really talk to me much. The haole cop. Doesn't seem to matter that I grew up here."

"Meka's still here, too?"

"Yeah, we partnered up for a bit. He's on another assignment now, and I got your dad's murder."

"Okay, there's something I need to do." Steve held his phone up to show Danny, who just gave Steve a baffled head shake back and then listened in as Steve began talking to the Governor, watching Danny all the time.

"What the hell was that?" Danny asked as Steve hung up.

"Now, I'm staying, too. And you and I are going to pick up where we left off." Steve beamed a smile at Danny, and Danny got the feeling it had been the first real smile Steve had managed in a while and so he couldn't help but be swept back up into Steve's life again, just as he had been when they were four and meeting for the first time when they began school.

* * *

By the time Victor Hesse had two bullet holes in him and Steve's new task force was taking shape, Steve had made a point of trying to get Danny to move in with him and was determined to meet his daughter ASAP.

Apparently, Danny's apartment offended Steve on a base level, and this was coming from a guy who lived in barracks (or whatever it is on a boat) for a long time. In the meantime, as if expecting some kind of token fight that might last a few weeks, Steve bought Danny a weekend at the Kahala hotel so the two of them could take Grace to swim with the dolphins. Steve seemed to want the perfect opportunity to get himself in Danny's daughter's good books and was not above bribery. But then, Danny couldn't deny Steve or Grace the opportunity.

Hanging around the new office, drinking beer and laughing reminded Danny of the old gang, even if Chin and Kono weren't a part of it back then. It was like old times for Steve and Danny, though. Years apart and yet, they had gravitated back to the other easily. They'd changed, of course they had. Experiences had changed them, some light, some dark. They'd be able to talk to the other, tell them what they could of their lives and fall back into that old friendship.

The physical side of it was there again straight away. Steve had wrapped his arms around Danny from behind while Danny berated Kono for her terrible 'strike force' idea and he'd almost swayed off his seat from Steve's strength. He'd then told Steve off for sitting on boxes and desks instead of the chairs like a normal human being would.

Kono had given them a funny look and asked. "So were you guys close growing up?"

"Were they close?" Chin had sputtered and laughed as he answered for them. "These two cats were inseparable. They went everywhere together. You know, Steve, your mom was convinced you guys would get married someday. She used to make all these side comments to me and your dad when you were out of earshot about what you'd be like when you were forty."

"She said that, really?" Steve asked.

"I can see it now, babe, you walking down the aisle in a white dress…" Danny joked.

"Woah, hey now, I am not the bride. That's you, my friend," Steve pointed at Danny.

"Why me?"

"It's logistics, Danny; you're the shorter of the two of us."

"Because tall women don't exist, right? And they don't marry short guys."

"I'm sure they do, but I think the pictures will look better my way round."

Danny picked up a couple of pens from the box beside them and threw them at Steve, which only left Steve gaping at Danny for the abuse and then lifting up from his perch on the desk and grabbing Danny in a bear hug from behind, trapping his arms so he couldn't use them. Danny cried uncle, but Steve did nothing more than loosen his hold to allow Danny to breathe again and they stood there, a little out of breath, but like everything was perfectly normal.

"I have a feeling working with you guys is going to be fun," Kono said.

* * *

Danny was right. It took only a few weeks to wear him down to moving in with Steve. Grace loved her new Uncle already and was excited that Danny would be living in a house with its own beach. Steve had promised to teach her how to boogie board (it was a compromise, as Danny still felt she was too young to surf) and they were going to redecorate Steve's old room for her.

They'd spent their Grace-free weekend moving Danny in (he didn't have much with him at the apartment, storing a lot of it with his mom and step-dad at their house) and then got to work clearing out Steve's old room. The problem was it was taking forever as they kept finding things to reminisce about.

Late afternoon found them exhausted and curled up on Steve's old bed which, once upon a time, had fit them both a lot more comfortably than it did now.

As had somehow become standard, Steve was spooning Danny from behind and they were lying there laughing occasionally but enjoying a laid-back, carefree silence the rest of the time.

"Do you remember when we were in the 3rd grade, and Amy and Meka kissed for the first time behind the bike sheds."

"Yeah…" Danny began, wondering what part of the story Steve was working his way to.

"And we came home and…"

"Experimented?" Danny asked.

Yes, he remembered. They'd decided to see what it was like for themselves and had tried to kiss each other but being so young, they didn't do much more than smack their lips together. Steve made fun of Danny's soft lips, he remembered that much.

"You feel like experimenting again?" Steve asked. His voice uncertain, but his grip was solid on Danny.

"We could…" Danny hedged. "I mean, I think I remember we decided kissing was weird between us so kissing girls would be disgusting. And I've kissed a few girls since then and it wasn't so bad after all."

"So theoretically, if we were to try again, maybe even do it properly now that we're older and wiser and had more practice, it might not be weird anymore?" Steve asked.

"It's a sound theory," Danny nodded, then turned in Steve's arms. He was flat on his back while Steve hovered over him.

"You know, I've met some people over the years," Steve looked down at Danny's chest, at his own hands playing over Danny's t-shirt. "And I've loved them as much as I could but it's never been anything like how I felt about you. I can't help but wonder if you came back into my life at the perfect time."

"The perfect time?"

"Classified," Steve sniffed through a smile.

"Well, if it means anything, I've compared everyone to you. And the facts speak for themselves, because I'm single right now."

"I've never…"

"Been with a guy?" Danny finished for Steve again, but the other shook his head.

"Come out. Navy and all. I've known for a long time that I like guys and I've, y'know… just never been able to talk about it or have anything public." He didn't ask Danny for anything, but his questioning eyes spoke for him.

"I've never been with a guy. Never really thought about it much."

"Oh," Steve's eyes fell.

"That's not to say I'm not open to the possibility. If the right guy came along."

At Danny's words, the smile returned to Steve's face and he rested his head on Danny's chest long enough to press a kiss against the cotton of his tee. He lingered there, right over Danny's heart, and Danny curled his hand into the soft hairs at the nape of Steve's neck and held on, letting the moment wash over them.

Steve placed a few more soft kisses over the material of Danny's shirt and then lifted his head to look at him again, assessing, checking Danny was okay with everything before shifting a leg over Danny's, bringing their bodes more flush with each other, and then running a thumb over Danny's lips as his fingers brushed lightly over Danny's cheek and neck.

"Still soft," he murmured quietly before ducking his head and pressing their lips together.

Much like in the third grade it was a simple touch of lips and nothing deeper. There was a quiet confidence in Steve that Danny recognized as the man pulled back. But it was only for a moment and then his lips were on Danny's again, this time his tongue traced against Danny's bottom lip and when Danny let out a small gasp, Steve took the opportunity to deepen their connection and let his tongue explore into Danny, meeting his own in a dance and with a moan, Steve melted into Danny, his body settling against his with contentment.

The kisses seemed to last forever. They breathed when they needed to, but with a change of angle, or noses playing against the others' in eskimo kisses, it all led back to their lips meeting once again, and again. Hands began to join and explore but with no end game, just to enjoy the journey.

Steve broke off the kisses, laid another on Danny's cheek and pulled back. He arranged them again, with Danny turned up against him in a half spoon as Steve snuggled in close, his chin resting on Danny's shoulder.

"You know," Danny began. "Considering that this room is soon to be my daughter's, this is pretty much the last memory we're going to make in here before it's all different."

"It's the end of an era," Steve sighed, shifting, trying to get closer.

Danny nodded against him, but the grin pulling at his lips couldn't be denied. "But the start of a new one, too. Just imagine what kind of memories we're going to make in the room next door."

"It does have a bigger bed," Steve smiled down at him.

"It does," Danny agreed, soberly. "Which means that maybe we can spread out a bit more."

"What do you mean by that?"

Danny gestured at how they were lying. "You do realize we've been in this position since we were six."

A look flitted over Steve's face as he thought back. Danny watched as realization dawned on the other man's features. "Hide and seek, I remember. God, we did that for years. I took any excuse to get you to myself, all snuggled up nice and close."

"Really?" Danny laughed and Steve shrugged in response. "Now you decide to come clean to me? After all these years?"

Steve shrugged. "It doesn't matter how big the bed is, I'll still be cuddling you."

"Well, thanks for the warning."

They stared a each other for long moments until Steve cleared his throat. "So are we gonna…?" He pointed to the door, flicking his finger to indicate going round to the master bedroom.

"What, now?" Danny asked, feigning some ignorance.

"Well, yeah, now… been waiting about thirty years. Seems long enough."

Danny waved his head back and forth as if considering. "Thirty years… no pressure…"

Steve leaned down again and kissed Danny to shut him up. The kiss was perfect, he couldn't think much about it because he just lost himself in the feel of it, of Steve with him like he'd probably always wanted. His eyes were closed as Steve pulled back, and he opened them slowly.

"Tell you what," Steve suggested. "How about we play a little game of hide and seek. I'll go hide."

Steve pushed himself up from the bed, smoothed down his cargo pants and Danny brought himself up to a sitting position, scowling at Steve. "You're going to be under the bed aren't you."

"Count to ten, then come find out," Steve winked at Danny then bounded out the door.

Danny sat for a moment then loudly shouted to ten as fast as he possible could. "Ready or not, here I come!"


	2. No, Steven!

**Chapter summary: They met when they were four, and even back then, Danny developed a catchphrase of his own...**

* * *

Growing up together meant that they'd developed their own ways. There were inside jokes, certain looks that spoke volumes, and turns of phrases that others could associate with them.

When Steve annoyed him, one such phrase was constantly issuing from Danny's mouth - and had done so like a constant companion to their playing together since the age of four.

If Steve monopolized the toy trucks, hit sand from the sand box onto Danny, or tried to put pen on his face, the bossier one (as Danny was becoming known) would admonish him with a 'No, Steven!' and the adventurous one (that would be Steve) would guiltily wring his hands and stop what he was doing and play nice.

Danny was like a mini-parent at times. Sure, he could have his own unruly moments, could throw a tantrum with the best of them, but when it came to Steve, he did his best to take care of him like he would a brother. If that meant keeping him out of trouble, then so be it. Usually a stern look and his choice phrase was enough.

When Danny was eight, his father had sent him a toy kit for being a policeman. He'd been telling his father for over a year how much he wanted to join the police when he was older and this was his father's way of telling him he heard him and supported him, even if he was still just a little boy. Once Danny had his hands on his new plastic handcuffs, there was no stopping him. He'd used them on Matty a lot, but Steve was the one who he seemed to think needed them more.

After Steve annoyed him at lunchtime by trying to flick his ear one too many times, Danny had eventually growled out a 'No, Steven!' and dragged him over to the jungle gym and cuffed him to it. He'd walked away and gone to play with Meka instead, leaving Steve alone to pout. He went back though. He couldn't leave Steve like that. Even in his eight year old head, that it was Steve getting a time out and once he'd cooled down, Danny would release him.

Steve perked up on Danny's return, fully aware of the game they were playing, and once released, chased after Danny and tackled him to the ground in a fierce hug, thankful for not being abandoned. From then on, whenever Danny used the cuffs on Steve, the same thing always happened after, and Danny never seemed to mind at all when he had an armful of Steve on top of him, stuck to him like the octopus he could be.

When they were twelve, Steve was getting much better at surfing, though Danny refused to take part in the activity. He wasn't a fan of the beach and he didn't see the point in riding a wave for ten seconds then having to paddle all the way back out and wait for another ten second thrill. To be fair, Steve was right, and he probably would enjoy it if he gave it a chance. But he hated the beach. He hated sand, he hated when he didn't put on enough sunscreen and got burned bits and he hated the feel of the rubber thong of flip flops between his toes.

But he went with Steven to the beach on Saturday mornings anyway when, ostensibly, Doris McGarrett babysat him while his mom was at work. He liked to watch Steve get better, he liked to support him, but then the same thing always happened and Steve would come running up the sand, stand over Danny and drip on him. If that wasn't enough, he'd grab his hand and drag him down to the water. It didn't matter how many times he yelled 'No, Steven!' the, admittedly stronger boy, would be able to get him into the shallows and dump him in.

It never really took long for Danny to smile, start splashing, and then join in with a game of Frisbee. But he still hated the beach.

When they were fourteen, they spent a lot of time at the arcade on Sundays, crowded around a Ms Pac-Man game. Steve always made sure they had plenty of quarters and played a mean game, but Danny was better.

But there was that one Sunday where he was doing so well. He'd rocked through the pear level without losing all his lives and was in the beginnings of banana when Steve knocked into the table and he was distracted long enough for the orange ghost to kill him. His game was over.

"No, Steven!" he had simultaneously groaned and yelled in a rage.

"Sorry, man, it wasn't me, the game must have crashed or something."

"The game didn't crash, you did, you animal!" Danny tried to keep his voice down, but the strain was telling. "You made me lose! I hate you so much!"

"Now, Danny, come on, calm down. I'll buy you some malasadas, okay? You can try and kick my ass again next week. We were almost out of quarters anyway," Steve had placated.

He had gingerly put his arm around Danny's shoulders and steered him out of the arcade into the sunlight. Danny had never forgiven him for that one, the apology had never been accepted, the incident had merely been swept under the rug.

When they were sixteen, Steve had started on his healthy eating thing. He'd been thinking about his plans for after high school was over and, knowing he wanted into the Navy, had begun to do everything he could to get in great shape. He was looking good for it. he was a quarterback after all and had the strength to prove it.

He'd taken it upon himself to inflict his healthiness on Danny, substituting his food out from his lunch tray, even roping Danny's mom and aunt into it on the days he brown-bagged it. Danny would pull his lunch out of the bags, or stare forlornly at his tray that Steve had hijacked and just let out a frustrated 'No, Steven….' like a petulant five year old.

One weekend, Steve came over to pick up Danny to go to the beach and had bounded up the stairs with too much energy for nine o'clock in the morning and stormed into Danny's room, jumping on his bed, where Danny was curled up in his comforter still.

"Come on, Danny, time to get up!" Steve had way too much enthusiasm.

"No, Steven," Danny had spoken, wearily. "Sick. Not today."

"What's wrong?" Steve's voice immediately changed to concern.

"Don't know. Stomach hurts and my head isn't happy and I feel hot and cold at the same time. It sucks."

Steve didn't explore under the coverings to get to Danny, but he did try and peer at him. In the end he settled for rubbing at whatever lump of Danny there was from on top of the covers.

"If you listened to me and ate better, this might not have happened."

"Shut up," Danny replied, gesturing to his head.

Steve simply sighed, pulled himself up onto the bed and lay beside him. Not long after, a wave of heat had taken over Danny's body again and he'd kicked the covers away and flopped onto his belly, trying to push his head into his pillow for relief. When that didn't work, hands reached for him that weren't his own and gently pulled at him, bringing his head onto Steve's lap and then the other boy carded one hand through Danny's hair while the other massaged lightly at his temple. He did his best to soothe Danny, quietly asking him where it hurt.

It had felt like bliss as Steve's hands distracted from the pain and did their best to rub it away. That morning he curled into Steve's warmth when he felt cold, and sprawled on top of him when he felt hot; the comforter abandoned for Steve's pliant body instead.

The last time he'd said those words was the morning after their last sleepover, before Steve was due to leave for the airport and fly away from Danny. He remembered saying "No, Steven, don't go."

But Steve had had no choice in the matter. He'd hugged Danny close and told him this time he couldn't do as Danny asked.

Years later, and with both of them back on the Island (older, wiser, separate life experiences behind them), it was during their first case after dealing with Steve's dad's death and Victor Hesse when Steve dangled a suspect from a roof. Immediately Danny had been in there and the first words out of his mouth were 'No, Steven!' before he'd launched into a rant about proper police procedure and came perilously close to reaching for his handcuffs until realizing that these were real and metal, and not the plastic ones he'd held so dear for years.

After, when they were making their way back down the stairs of the building, with Steve's longer legs carrying him down faster, Steve had sported a stupid grin on his face while waiting for Danny to catch up. Danny kept scowling at him all the way to the car.

"What is with the face? I'm annoyed at you, Steve, stop smiling!"

"I can't help it, Danny," Steve said. "I'm just… it's like old times. You tell me not to do something when you think I've gone too far and then I stop."

"You didn't stop; you kept holding him over that roof."

"No, I didn't. You said 'no, Steven'… I paused, you ranted, and then I brought him back up again."

"You're insane. You've always been insane, you know that? You need a keeper."

Steve smirked again as he turned smiling eyes on Danny. "That's always been your job."

Danny shook his head, but looking back, he realized it had been.


	3. Child's Play

**Chapter Summary: They've always enjoyed watching movies together...**

* * *

At the age of four, they were really only interested in five minute cartoons and some classic Disney movies. Steve liked Robin Hood; Danny was more partial to Pinocchio. They would sit on the sofa in Danny's house during what their parents called a 'play date' and would share the blanket between them and eat candies while singing along and trying to act out some of the scenes. Danny remembered being Maid Marion, for some odd reason.

By the time they were seven, any of the movies they watched together were along the lines of adventure live actions. Danny's uncle had introduced him to some of the old ones from the forties and fifties and they would sometimes watch classic versions of Treasure Island or Zorro. Really, Steve was happy if there were swords and he had his own plastic ones that he loved to poke at Danny with when they were running around in the yard or down on the beach.

At thirteen, they were getting adventurous, but in a different way. Whether their parents realized it or not, they'd started watching more gritty action moves. Ones that had much more blood and violence in them. Of course, now they had a little black and white TV in Steve's room and would watch whatever was playing late on the channels. He remembered having to fiddle with the big aerial to get it to stay tuned in.

Late at night they'd huddle under Steve's bedspread, with only their hands and faces poking out, and they'd keep the volume low so no one knew what they were watching. It was probably the beginning of their understanding of sexual relationships and how kissing was more than just putting two sets of lips together. He vaguely remembered Dirty Dancing (neither boy would ever claim it was their choice to watch it, but somehow, they'd seen the whole thing) had really been an eye opener and was probably the first movie sex scene they ever saw.

Of course, once they were teenagers and had better pocket money and were trusted more - at least during weekend afternoons - they went to see new releases at the local movie theater. They'd gone to see Back to the Future art 3 and sat, not exactly at the back, but in the rear section and Steve had slung his arm over Danny's shoulders. When Danny had given him a questioning look, Steve had just shrugged back and said 'it's what everyone else is doing' and they'd left it at that.

They usually shared popcorn, sometimes even just got one drink and two straws. They'd take turns choosing what candy to add on. Danny always picked Milk Duds when it was his turn, so after a few months it became pointless for Steve to even ask and he just picked them up and chucked them in front of the cashier to add them on. Even when it was Steve's turn to pick, the Milk Duds would be chosen. When Danny would smile up at Steve in thanks, he'd receive a small blush along with the beam Steve would send back his way.

No matter if there was a crowd of friends there with them, they always sat together and Steve always took charge of the food and drink, always holding on to the tub of popcorn and leaning it to the side so Danny could get his share. On their way home, they'd always discuss what they'd seen, usually they'd have their bikes with them but would walk to take their time and push their bikes along beside them.

Once there had a been a group of them. Danny didn't even remember now what film they'd gone to see, which wasn't surprising, because his overall memory of that afternoon was Steve falling asleep on Danny's shoulder halfway through. It was okay though - Steve had been up early to go surfing and then had to help his father in the yard before joining them in the late afternoon. The boy was wiped out from it and chose to use Danny as his pillow in the darkened hall. Danny didn't have the heart to wake him up until the credits were rolling. Steve had looked up at him sleepily and asked what he'd missed. As far as Danny could remember, the answer had been 'nothing at all'.

Now, with them back together and partnered up for a few months, they were too busy to think about going out to see movies. But Danny had recently moved in with Steve, and with advancements in technology, Steve's big plasma screen was perfect to watch DVDs on, and his couch was far more comfortable than a cinema seat with a sticky floor and worn down arm rests.

Steve started to keep a blanket folded up neatly over the back of the couch, and when they sat an watched movies together, they'd pull it down and over themselves. Steve would make a big batch of popcorn and grab a couple of beers. Danny always put his feet up on the coffee table, but once they'd had their fill of popcorn, they'd lie back on the sofa, pulling their legs up and letting them tangle together and they'd lie as comfortably as possible to watch.

Now that they weren't in a crowded room, Steve seemed to have developed an inability to watch a film without giving his own running commentary. He'd poke fun, he'd laugh, he'd occasionally jump in a horror film when something unexpected happened (he'd then claim he saw it coming) but Danny would feel the jerking movement where his back was pressed to Steve's chest.

In the end though, there was one movie in particular that throughout the years, the boys had never made it all the way through and somehow it had become very important to them. Steve would also say it was one of his favorites.

When they were thirteen or so, Steve had got a hold of it on VHS, and every Halloween Danny would come around so they could watch it together. By about half way through, Steve would get distracted by trying to scare Danny. He'd poke at him, throw popcorn at him, he'd try and pretend his fingers were a spider on Danny's shoulder… in the end, Danny would complain that he'd lost track of the plot and Steve would shrug, turn the TV off and they'd go and do something else. It happened for three or four years straight until the fateful Halloween where Steve wasn't there anymore.

Danny had looked forlornly at the copy of the VHS in the video store and decided never to watch it ever again.

This Halloween was different. They were back in the same house, the couch was the same one that John McGarrett had always had, the only difference was the bigger TV.

All day at work, Steve had been weirdly excited about movie night. Danny had no idea why, because it was just a movie night and they did them often enough, but this one seemed to have Steve happier than usual and he'd refused to say why. Danny figured it must have something to do with Halloween and yet, his brain hadn't connected to their fledgling teenage tradition.

So when they were settling down to watch and he'd spied that battered VHS on the table he'd just grinned and chuckled. Maybe this year, finally, they'd watch the whole thing. Danny never had found out the ending (though the bad guy must have survived, because they'd made sequels to it over the years).

This year was different, but no, they didn't reach the end of the movie.

Instead of trying to distract Danny with annoyances, Steve instead took to nuzzling against his cheek and neck, his hands exploring under Danny's shirt, and once they reached his pants, Danny was all for playing along.

The movie was abandoned in favor of Steve pulling their legs up onto the couch, settling between Danny's knees, and giving in to a teenage fantasy make out session.

Eventually, Danny turned to the screen. "Hey, the credits are rolling."

"I don't think the tape has ever been that far before," Steve laughed.

Danny looked back at Steve, whose face was hovering just inches above his own, lips kiss swollen. "I still don't actually know what happened."

"If I have my way, you never will. Because when we do this every year, it's going to end exactly the same."

"Really?" Danny asked, flirtatiously.

Steve nodded, leaning back down to nose at Danny's hair and ear. "I don't know why, but that movie's been making me horny for you since about 1990."

Danny lifted his hips, grinding them against Steve's, eliciting a moan from the other man. "After all these years, any other kind of ending would be a real let down," he sighed. "We don't always have to watch it just around Halloween though, right?"

Steve laughed against Danny's neck as he laid quiet kisses across his skin. "We can watch it as often as you like. Halloween, Christmas, July 4th… Flag day…."

"Sounds good to me. I think it just might be my favorite film ever."


	4. Thunderstruck

**Chapter Summary: Danny has never been fond of Hawaiian weather...**

* * *

He didn't really remember the first time. He'd been living in Hawaii since he was three and with Hawaiian weather as it is, there's no way he wouldn't have been around for some fierce storms. He knew he hadn't liked them much when he was very young. His imagination at that age was so active, he was convinced they were scary and his mom tells him fondly that he'd hidden under her bed or the kitchen table thinking those to be the safest places.

He also knows that as he got older, he began to not mind them so much. He doesn't like them, that would be stupid. Getting caught in a torrential downpour is never fun. Being soaked to the skin, feeling the big drops of water fall down his head, over his nose, pounding onto him, he'd always hated that and still did to this day.

But there was that one time, when he couldn't have been more than five years old, and there was a storm rolling in one day when Doris McGarrett was babysitting. Steve and Danny had been playing out in the back garden, clambering around the outdoor furniture until she'd called them in because the sky had darkened so quickly.

They'd gone up to Steve's room, which had a big window overlooking the back area and Steve had been fascinated, watching the clouds, seeing the misty look of rain in the distance as it closed in on them.

Danny had taken to the bed. He didn't want to seem scared. He wanted to be brave, and he wanted to not let Steve see that he was worried, but when that first thunder clap struck and the lightning bolted over the sky, he'd jumped and possibly… _**possibly**_ let out a squeal.

He'd expected Steve to make fun of him, but he didn't. He turned worried eyes to Danny, asking what was wrong and for some unknown reason, Danny had easily relented and told Steve he didn't like thunder. In response, Steve had grabbed two pairs of oversized headphones and plugged them into a small keyboard. They'd played at making really bad music until the storm had passed over enough that the rumbles were quiet enough not to disturb them.

From then on, any time there was a storm, Steve found a way to distract Danny, and he'd always been appreciative of it. Normally, it was through alternate noise, whether that be music or the television or radio, it didn't matter. They were always fine until Doris or Danny's mom came to the room and told them to keep it down. Then they'd giggle, thinking of their own storm noise as a private joke between the two of them, never letting on to anyone else that it had all started because Danny had been scared of something.

It wasn't just storms that affected how they were together. The Hawaiian sun was bright and ever present. Although they frequently wore sunglasses, it wasn't always practical and besides, sometimes you just forgot to put them in your pocket or on top of your head when you left the house and it was cloudy.

It was always worse for Danny when they were at the beach as they became teenagers. Since he didn't surf, he always just stayed on a towel, sitting back on the sand and watching Steve and others perfect their craft. If Danny forgot his sunglasses, then he'd use Steve's while he was on the water. It was an elegant solution, but it only lasted until Steve was too tired out and came up to Danny where the other boy was protecting their cooler. Steve would fumble around inside to pull out a bottle of water, downing it while motioning for Danny to hand over his glasses.

The first time their new solution happened they were about twelve or so. Steve had laid out his towel, shaking out sand onto Danny, who shielded his face with his hand but still ended up trying to cough and spit up sand while wiping his eyes. Steve lay down next to him, crossing his legs at the ankles and propping his head on his hands.

Danny just sat there, his arms stretched behind him, looking down at himself, squinting in the brightness.

"Come 'ere," Steve beckoned and Danny turned confused eyes onto him.

"What?"

"You've probably been sitting facing the sun like that for too long anyway, you should turn around, it'll make your tan more even and stuff."

"I'm not here to tan, tanning is for girls. I'm here to enjoy the beach. Kind of under duress, of course."

"Duress? Danny?"

"What? I know what it means," Danny pouted. Steve just tried to beckon him closer again and reached a hand to the smaller boy as Danny begrudgingly did as Steve asked. He turned against the sun and lay closer to Steve. Steve then put his now free arm around Danny's shoulders and let him hide his eyes against Steve's shoulder. It was more comfortable than having to hold his own hand and arm up to shield himself from the bright glare, and the relief to his eyes had him sighing in moments.

Around Christmas time every year, his father would start sending photos from home. he considered New Jersey home even though he hadn't lived there since he was a baby, but he felt like it was his spiritual home. It was where 'his people' were from and he felt an affinity for it. Being with his family, he retained an odd mix of New Jersey in his accent, only marred with a few of the more laid-back sounds of the islands (which he blamed Steve entirely for).

He'd show Steve the photos and sigh forlornly, wishing for once he'd be able to have a New Jersey winter and see some actual snow. To bundle up in a scarf and hat and gloves… to go ice skating, to build a snowman. Anything. Just to feel some cold and then warm up in the central heating of his house and watch the world go by.

When they were sixteen, somehow, Steve had decided to try to make Danny happier. Christmas wasn't just a bad time for Danny because of the weather, but because it was a time for family, and his father couldn't be there in person. His dad would dress up as Santa and send photos of himself holding presents that would then, hopefully, all arrive in Hawaii in time to be opened on Christmas Day. His dad also promised Danny faithfully that every time he called in December, he'd be wearing the red suit. He'd make rustling noises and make a point of saying he was stroking the white beard while thinking of things. Danny loved it, all the kids did, and Danny promised himself that when he was a dad, he'd dress as Santa for his kids.

The 25th was fast approaching, and school was letting out for the last time until the new year. The next day, Steve came by Danny's house early with a bag. Danny had been shooed out of the house by his aunt and uncle and told to go have fun and John McGarrett had driven them to the mall, where they had an ice rink attached at one end. It was inside, but it was still ice and was still cold. Steve opened the bag and inside were two scarves, two hats and two pairs of gloves that they could wear on top of their jeans and t-shirts.

They rented their skates and gingerly began to move around, surrounded by other kids and adults either in a similar situation, or going scarily fast around them. Steve had good co-ordination, but his height and teenage gangliness made his balance awkward. Danny had a lower center of gravity and was able to stay on his feet a lot better, but he stayed by the wall patiently while Steve got the hang of things, and took his hands as they tried to leave the safety of the barrier. Despite some rather painful mishaps, they'd giggled their way around and eventually were able to pick up enough speed to enjoy themselves more than expected.

They'd only had an hour, but it was enough for Danny to know that Steve had done it to put a smile on his face, and he had. They'd gone upstairs to the food court, still wearing their winter gear, and had ordered hot chocolate from the coffee stand and watched other people attempting to stand up on the ice. They watched others fail just as miserably as they had at first, they'd laughed, they'd winced when there was a bad fall and they reminisced about their time out on the ice as if it had happened years ago.

They'd gone a couple more times before school went back in January. Steve had promised they'd do it again next winter and Danny had thought that with something like that to look forward to, maybe Christmas time in Hawaii wouldn't be so bad after all. But then Steve's mom had died. Steve had left. Steve was having a real, cold Christmas on the mainland and Danny felt even more hatred for the Hawaiian Christmas than ever before. It was his least favorite time of year to be on the islands.

This first Christmas in Hawaii with Grace was a strange mix of fear and excitement. Steve had remembered so much of their growing up together, more than Danny had realized, and had implemented things back into his life. Danny held that one Christmas up as so important that he was worried as to whether or not Steve knew how much it meant to him.

He dropped the odd hints at the beginning of December about dressing up as Santa for Grace, getting a new suit for it. He was already sad that he only saw Grace for six hours on Christmas Day and wanted to make the most of it. He also lamented the lack of snow: something he'd become used to since his move back to new Jersey for college and the police academy. He'd told Steve about how it had been a shock to his system, no matter how much he'd always wanted to experience it, but over the years he was now used to it, and being back in Hawaii again… well, it just didn't feel right.

But on the 23rd of December Steve had dragged Danny to the familiar, if now somewhat changed mall and taken him skating. Like riding a bike, they both remembered enough to not make complete fools of themselves and they'd attempted to make skating look good on two thirty-something year old men. It had been a wonderful time, and they'd gone to the food court for hot chocolate after, just like they had at the age of sixteen.

Danny was smiling and Steve responded to it like a moth to a flame.

As they made there way out of the mall, the skies were dark and gloomy and a rainstorm was threatening. They'd made it to the car before the massive drops of water began falling from the sky but by the time they made it home, it was a huge downpour and the noise of the drops banging on the roof of the car was almost deafening.

They parked in the drive but made no move to get out and run the 10 feet to the door. Instead, Steve turned to Danny.

"Radio?" he asked. Danny nodded and Steve turned it on and pushed the volume up to drown out the majority of the rain noises. He moved around in his seat and then turned, looking at the back. With a flick of his head, he motioned for Danny to follow him into the rear seats. Steve spread himself out, trying to make room as Danny followed him back and then half collapsed on him as his foot caught in a cup holder.

Steve dragged him close and placed his hands loosely over Danny's ears. "Sorry, I don't have any headphones in the car."

Danny simply grinned at Steve, knowing exactly what he was referring to and that private joke about noise in storms that to this day hadn't been explained to anyone. "Maybe you can distract me in other ways."

"Well, I can certainly give it a go," Steve nodded and kissed Danny.

The thrum of blood rushing through his veins and through his ears was enough for Danny to know that their very adult way of dealing with thunder strikes was a very enjoyable new twist on their secret game.


	5. Topper

**Chapter Summary: Steve is a 'topper'. It's both aggravating and adorable, depending on what he's done now.**

* * *

Steve McGarrett was a trouble magnet, of that Danny was certain. And he could also be a colossal pain in the ass (and always had been) but there was a wonderful core to the man and Danny had seen that in him when they first met.

Steve had a generous heart and enjoyed presenting the people he loved with gifts. His face would beam with joy at his own cleverness when a person he loved or had some fondness for opened a package and gasped in delight.

For Danny's fifth birthday he was given a rug that doubled as a play mat for toy cars. He'd loved it because it was designed like a city with sky scrapers and a big city hall along with the roads mapped out in it. He'd christened it Hoboken and he and Steve played on it for years. He remembered Doris telling Danny as he ripped open the gift wrap that Steve had picked it out especially for him and insisted it was the right present. He had indeed been right and Danny had hugged the stuffing out if him because he loved it so much.

On his ninth birthday he got a Lego set that included a Lego police car to make up and little Lego people with uniforms and hand cuffs. It was the same birthday that his father had sent the police play set for him. He had wondered at first if there had been some collusion, but he had been talking about joining the police for a good year because of his uncle back in New Jersey.

The present was great but it wasn't the thing that had put a big smile on his face.

Steve had asked his dad to get the birthday card he'd picked out signed by a bunch of the detectives at his precinct. It had included messages saying they looked forward to working with him one day and they hoped he was keeping Steve in line. He probably still had that card in storage somewhere. He'd kept it on display in his room for weeks, despite his birthday being long over.

But it wasn't all about the yearly birthday presents, although those were always exactly what he wanted (Steve knew him so well, he never went wrong) but there were small things Steve would give him just because he could.

He brought coloring books when Danny had chicken pox when he was seven. He snuck out some of his mom's brownies to give to Danny during lunch breaks when he was six. Hell, he used to snag random flowers from trees and hold them out for Danny as a small token. The first time that happened, Danny insisted he shouldn't wear it because he wasn't a girl, so Steve had plucked another one and popped it behind his left ear with a ta-dah! gesture. Danny had giggled and then followed suit. From then on if they were walking home from the beach or taking it easy by walking with their bikes back from the park, Steve would automatically take two flowers and wear one along with Danny. He had no idea if there was any significance to the type of flower Steve chose, but it was always the same bloom. He wasn't sure what exactly it was, all he knew was an orchid that was tinged pink. Steve seemed to favor them, at least where Danny was concerned.

When Danny's calculator had broken before sitting exams when they were fourteen, Steve had given him a new (and better) one the next day, probably thanks to his father and an advance on the extra pocket money he got when he did some of the chores in his house.

Steve was the one who had broken his old one by forgetting to bring his own before a chemistry class. Instead of bringing back the borrowed device he had instead done something with acid and a Bunsen burner that had left it damaged beyond repair. Danny hadn't been mad, he was just worried because he had his math test coming up. Steve may have been the idiot who caused the problem, but he was the lovable idiot who fixed it (and before Danny could put real thought into sorting it out himself).

He had a leather wrist cuff when he was fifteen. It wasn't a special occasion. Steve had got it for Danny at a county fair. He'd gone through a phase where he liked to have things around his left wrist, and not a watch. He put it down to the skateboarder in him. It was a soft brown leather that wrapped twice around his wrist and had a cheesy message written on it that was one of a few standards you could pick from. The one Steve bought him said 'my hero'. It was the least mushy of the lot of them and he bought it because of a joke from earlier in the evening.

Steve had knocked down the three targets to win a little teddy bear. They were at the fair together and as they watched boyfriends win things for their dates, Steve had turned to Danny with a flourish and presented it on blended knee to him. Danny had laughed and played along, proclaiming Steve his gallant and most talented hero as he accepted it. So later, when they'd seen the stall, Steve couldn't pass up the opportunity to get Danny the gift.

Even now, the badass Navy SEAL still had that softer inner core that enjoyed making the ones he loved happy. These days he seemed to prefer the grand gesture, which was something Danny learned immediately upon their reunion when Steve presented him with three nights at the Kahala Hotel for Grace to go swim with dolphins and get them out of Danny's crappy apartment for her weekend visit. But it didn't end there.

Steve wanted to be the best. In his everyday life he wanted to give all that he could to his job. When it came to his private life he was on a mission to out-do everyone else. Gift giving was the most obvious way in which he did it. It was all part of his competitive streak. Now that Danny was surfing he was noticing it there too, just as it had been with sports growing up. Steve just didn't like to lose. It was a personality trait that was both aggravating and adorable, depending on how he showed it. Trying to outbid each other at a charity event fell into the aggravating camp. It was ridiculous anyway. Steve just wanted them so he could take Danny.

They hadn't seen each other since they were sixteen. Well, Steve had been sixteen, but Danny was a few months younger and was still fifteen when Steve had left. While they'd still had some contact through University, they'd never really been able to do gifts, as Steve's dad had cut most of his ties with old friends, and Danny never wanted to intrude. Once he was seventeen he'd moved back to New Jersey anyway. Sending gifts had just been too much of an expense when they had college books to buy.

So, it was the first of the month, but his birthday was still a few weeks away. It was to be the first birthday they were celebrating together since Danny's fifteenth. When Danny arrived for work, there was a package left on Danny's desk done up with a brightly colored bow. It was large, rectangular. He had a feeling it was from Steve, but why he was being given something so far in advance? Surely Steve hadn't remembered the date wrong?

Danny decided not to open it. He didn't want to spoil some kind of surprise if it was meant for his birthday. Steve poked his head in the door with a smile (he'd been in a meeting with the Governor first thing) and pointed to the package.

"You haven't opened it yet?"

He shook his head. "You do know it's not my birthday for another few weeks, right?"

Steve lifted himself from where he was leaning on the doorframe and headed in, closing the door behind him. "Open it," he instructed.

"Okay, then," Danny sighed. He stood over the package and untied the bow, then lifted the lid up and looked inside. What he saw made his eyes widen and he let out a nervous laugh. "Oh my god. What the hell is this?" He pulled out a skateboard. It was adorned with the New Jersey Devils logo, along with the Kukui High mascot and a baseball bat, alongside a football and shirt with the number 50 on it.

There was a massive store bought sparkling banner wrapped around it emblazoned with the message 'Happy Sweet Sixteenth!'.

"Sixteenth?" Danny asked as he turned the board over, getting a good look at it. he hadn't been boarding since he was in college His old board was back in storage in Jersey with his father.

Steve came up and placed his hands on Danny's shoulders. "I figured I have a lot of time to make up for. I haven't given you a proper present since you turned fifteen. So, every day until your actual birthday, I'm giving you a gift for the years I missed. Age appropriate, of course."

Danny was shocked. He couldn't speak as he took in what Steve was saying. "You… you really are the craziest person I ever met. I can't believe you're doing this."

Steve ducked his head down and pressed his lips to Danny's. "Every year on your birthday I always thought about you, and what I would get you if I could. Now I have the chance. Indulge me."

Steve was so sincere, so thoughtful that Danny melted. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face if he tried. Steve had outdone himself so much. "You are amazing."

"Careful, I've still got about 18 more gifts for you. You'd maybe better hold your judgements until you see them all," Steve winced a little, but it was dramatic effect. He still had an air of smugness about him over his plans.

"I don't care," Danny shook his head in wonder. "You could give me 18 pairs of socks, and I'd be perfectly happy." He cupped Steve's face in his hands. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Happy Sixteenth."


	6. Household Accidents

**Chapter Summary: The majority of accidents happen in the home...**

* * *

Steve McGarrett was always a danger to any household, and Danny, being his best friend in the whole world since they began school, knew this better than most. This was one of the reasons he took three weeks to decide whether or not to move in with the man he had been recently reunited with. It was simple; he was worried about his safety.

Mind you, Danny seemed to be around when these mishaps happened, and he remembered either being directly involved by spurring Steve on, or tagging along even when he knew he shouldn't.

When they were tiny, they could only have been four or five, Doris McGarrett was babysitting while Danny's mom was out. The other kids were still at home with their aunt and uncle, but Danny had been a stubborn little boy and when his mom wasn't at home for the evening, perhaps if she had a date, he insisted that he be with Steve instead.

This time, for some reason, he was going to be staying over for the whole night and an auspicious start to the evening had them covered in spaghetti sauce so Doris had little choice but to put them in the bath before letting them go to bed.

They shared the bath. They were both small enough to fit, and at that age, neither of them cared about being naked together (they still didn't now, come to think of it) and they'd splashed and had fun with toy boats and submarines.

Doris had left the room to go deal with Mary who was crying in her crib. She'd left strict orders for them to be good. It had, frankly, been a little bit too trusting. She may not have feared they'd drown or anything, but instead, Steve decided the water had become too cold for him so he'd turned on the hot tap and let the water begin running again.

Neither boy seemed to care nor notice as the bath began to overflow. They just kept playing. When Doris ran back in, it was to find the floor soaked with a layer of water and the boys looking as innocent as possible.

At the age of seven, Steve was playing at Danny's house one weekend. They were in the back garden pretending to be rival pirates (neither would give in and be a damsel in distress and Danny's sisters didn't want to play and had hidden their Barbies so they had to make do with what they had) and Danny's mom had recently taken the washing in from the line. Spotting the empty wire hanging there, Steve had pulled at it and it had all fallen around him.

Danny remembered taking a breath of shock, while Steve had picked it up and grinned. He'd then chased Danny around the garden until he could tackle him to the ground and tie him up as his prisoner. When Danny's mom found them later, with Danny now tied around a tree with Steve telling him he now belonged to him as his treasure, they'd both been herded inside and reminded that the washing line wasn't a toy.

When they were ten, and it was July, John McGarrett had bought fireworks for a family celebration. Everyone had been invited over, including the Williams' and they were having a barbecue out on the lanai. One thing Danny remembered was Steve getting bored of all the boring adults and complaining to him about how bored he was and blah blah blah… Danny had given in and steered Steve inside and away from the dullness of what must have been people talking about work and traffic and weather and other such inanities. He'd thought they would go to Steve's room and play, but instead, Steve had ground to a halt inside the kitchen.

He'd spotted the box of fireworks.

He'd rushed to them, happiness tinting his cheeks red with delight and he'd ripped the lid off to see what was inside. This was one occasion where Danny tried to tell him 'no, Steven!' but the other boy couldn't be persuaded.

Instead, Danny became his protective detail. He was, essentially, Steve's back-up and was there in case something went wrong.

Steve knew where his dad kept a lighter in one of the kitchen drawers and he'd grabbed two sparklers from the box with intent. Before Danny could blink, the crackles and sparks were flying around the room, much brighter than either boy expected. When some of the sparks got onto the wood of the kitchen table and began to smolder, Steve had dropped his sparkler on the floor. Danny blew out the one in his hand and grabbed gingerly for the one on the ground, while Steve used the sleeve of his shirt to stop the table from burning more than it already had.

That was when his dad had walked in, looking to find where the boys had got to. It was the most trouble they'd ever been in at that point in their lives. They were in trouble for ruining the good kitchen table, for almost setting the house on fire, for singeing themselves (both had burns on their hands) and simply, for doing something they knew was stupid.

Danny always wondered why he was in as much trouble as Steve, since it hadn't been his idea, but the adults treated them as a pair. They always did.

At twelve, it hadn't really been their fault what had happened. Not really. They were in the bathroom together at Danny's house. It wasn't weird… well, maybe it was. They were in there looking at 'lady things' in the cabinet (the girls were having a special sex ed class that boys weren't allowed into but there were rumors and now they were snooping around, trying to deduce the facts from the fiction) when someone had arrived home and made lots of noise coming up the stairs.

To try and avoid any awkward conversations about them being in there together, Steve had slammed the door shut so no one could see. The problem was, in the style of a bad sitcom, the door handle on their side fell off and two minutes later, when they thought the coast was clear, they couldn't get the door open.

Danny had been so mad. In an effort to keep things less awkward, Steve had made things even _**more**_ awkward instead. Danny was blushing and they hadn't even been caught yet.

Then Steve had an idea. He grabbed the toilet brush holder and began hitting at the door, trying to break it down. He said once they were free, Danny could go back to his room and Steve would take the blame. When Steve suggested things like that, even a pre-teen Danny gave in to his selflessness and had forgiven him.

They worked together to get loose, but the noise brought Danny's uncle to them. All that was need was for him to release them easily from his side. At first, there was simply relief all around, until Uncle Peter noticed what Steve had done to their side of the door. It was chipped, marked, there was paint peel all over the floor and the wood by the lock had completely splintered. By twelve, the puppy dog eyes and innocent routine barely worked on the adults in their lives. Instead, the boys got to spend the next four weekends helping Uncle Peter fix the door and all of their pocket money went to buying a new lock and paint.

Sixteen, and Steve was buffing up well. Danny was too, mainly from fending off Steve all the time, or giving the bigger teen piggy back rides and their general roughhousing. Somehow, it wasn't enough for Steve, who wanted to get into better shape as he was determined to break the school football records. One Saturday when Danny had arrived at Steve's room, the young quarterback already had most of his clothes out from his closet. It was a large space, certainly for a boy, and took up one wall of his room where it was built in.

Danny watched as Steve pulled the clothes from the rack and laid them on his bed instead, filling him in on his new idea. Danny had only one thought.

"Are you sure it's stable?"

"It's nailed into the wall. It's held for years."

"That's my point. It's held your clothes for years, not you."

"Everything will be fine."

"Don't say that, Steve, please don't say that."

Danny had been right. Steve shouldn't have jinxed it, because after three attempts at pull ups, Steve brought down the bar, landing on his ass. That alone would be bad, because he'd pulled apart his wardrobe, but somehow, because of how much weight and stress he'd put it under, and how it was built into the wall, when he crashed to the ground, so did the shelving above, dumping a whole bunch of boxes and their contents on top of Steve with an booming sound that echoed around the room.

There was a moment of silence and outright shock from both of them. Danny just stood there, marveling at what he'd witnessed with a hand over his mouth. Steve had sat on the floor, rubbing his lower back and pushing a box of knick-knacks off his legs. Then Danny sprung into action, quickly hopping to where Steve was and making sure he was okay, rubbing Steve's elbow where he'd said he'd hit it when he'd landed and checking his head for injuries, while Steve grinned at him like he was indestructible and enjoying Danny's fussing.

There was a thundering of footsteps as Doris came up to find out what the hell had happened. When she opened the door, it was like a dust cloud was disturbed as well as she took in the sight.

In the end, Steve got plenty of exercise while they fixed the wardrobe back up again over the next few days. Why Danny was involved in the clean up, he had no idea, because this time he was pretty sure he'd had nothing to do with it.

And now here he was. Remembering the myriad of times before where Steve had been a danger to himself and others in the household. It was like he was a statistic. He was the poster boy for 'most accidents happen in the home'. Why would Danny be foolish enough to move in with him?

"Because I've grown up, Danny. Those were just stupid kid things and you know it."

"Okay, I admit, the Navy has helped you by funneling all that daring spirit into fighting shoe bombers in caves in the darkest parts of the world, but you are home now. When you get antsy and decide to start some kind of household project, I fear something bad will happen."

"Again, I was… _**we**_ were kids when _**we**_ did those things. We didn't know what we were doing. Now, if it'll make you happy, I'll read the instructions first."

"You better."

In the end, Danny thought Steve must have been right, because living in the house was uneventful for the longest time. Okay, there was that cooking mishap, but to be fair, that was Danny and he was man enough to admit that not opening the window to let the smoke out when he burned the food was a bad idea. And entirely his.

But he saw that as the incident that led to the first of what he now figured would be many other household problems for them. It was like having something happen flipped a switch in Steve's head.

It was that same day, it was only a period of hours later once they were home from the case they'd been called into and collapsed together that it went wrong.

Despite being tired from a long day, they had energy left in them; probably from the adrenaline rush, and that had turned into them getting frisky while standing in the kitchen. Steve had loomed over Danny, pressing kisses into his neck while Danny fumbled, stumbling backwards until his legs hit against the kitchen table.

Steve hiked him up onto the sturdy wooden support and pushed his legs wider to stand between them. Danny's hands gripped the corners of the table as his shirt was ripped open, the material shoved aside, and hands began to fumble with his fly.

He watched Steve work, and then his eyes turned to the side, noting the familiar burn marks embedded in the table top. He'd grinned, remembering their youthful stupidity. He reached and grabbed for Steve's face, manipulating his neck so that he could look Steve in the eyes.

"Hey, hey, we are not, I repeat, we are _**not**_ having sex on the kitchen table we've been eating off since we were four. That's all kinds of wrong."

Steve tilted his head noticing the same marks that Danny had been looking at. "We've done other things to the table too," he gestured to it. "Like this is any different."

"It's a little too different and we have a nice bed upstairs. It's designed for things like this. We need to relocate."

"Fine," Steve grumbled, grabbing Danny's hand and trying to speed him up as he grabbed his pants so they wouldn't fall down as they ran up the stairs.

Steve flung himself on the bed, pushing his own pants down as he went, shucking his shirt in record time and then grabbed Danny down with him.

As far as Danny expected, nothing was different that any other time they'd had sex in this bed. So part of him was quite willing to say it was just genuine wear and tear from its old age, but another part of his brain knew the truth. Because this was Steve, and trouble followed him around.

No sooner had Steve manhandled Danny into a position that meant he was gripping tight to the headboard while Steve rocked into him, telling him all sorts of dirty things he wanted to do, when there was a creak. A rhythmic creaking that seemed to get louder with their own cries and then a crack, followed by an almighty thud.

And Danny was no longer holding onto the same bit of the headboard, and he was no longer kneeling on the mattress. H e was now lying with a heavy Navy SEAL on top of him like a human shield.

When he looked around them, they were no longer at the height that they had been either. The window was higher up than normal.

"Did you… did you break the bed?" He asked, incredulously.

Steve moved carefully and Danny realized it was because of the position they'd been in as they'd fallen. He hadn't fully taken in what had happened and there was no pain…yet, anyway. "Uhm… I think… we did."

"No, no no no… _**we**_ did not do this, Steven. You did, you and your Navy SEAL, G.I. Joe, abs of steel and gung ho attitude did this."

"Abs of steel?"

Danny growled in frustration and did his best to turn around on the mattress. Really, they were fine and it was just that the legs of the bed had given out. They'd fallen all of about three feet straight to the ground and were still comfortable on the mattress… even if the headboard had come away from the wall and Steve had pushed it up and to the side away from them.

"Tell me, when you were in the Navy, did you just pick and choose which bits of your orders to listen to?"

Steve looked at Danny soberly. "I pay attention to the important bits."

"You're a menace. Are you even going to apologize for this? It's your bed!"

"It's _**our**_ bed and if it makes you feel any better then I'm sorry. I am truly sorry for rocking your world so hard that the bed couldn't cope and collapsed underneath us. I take full responsibility for the damn good sex. Now, do you think we could get back to it? Because we didn't exactly finish here."

"You want to keep going?" Danny asked, well aware both of them were still, in fact, horny as hell.

"It's not like we can go bed shopping right now. And our parents aren't about to storm in here and give us a row for breaking things again."

Danny stuck his lip out in consideration, and because he didn't immediately say no, Steve took it as a sign to continue and began kissing him in earnest, letting the passion come back to life.

Danny broke away, taking control, forcing Steve to move his position so they could continue where they left off. "You know, if we have to go bed shopping we could get a new kitchen table while we're at it. If you want," he mused.

Steve pushed closer to Danny, his chest against Danny's sweaty back and leant his chin on Danny's shoulder. "No, you were right about that table having memories attached to it. We're keeping it. Scorch marks and all."

"I'm not having sex on it."

"I dunno… I think I might be able to eventually persuade you…"

Danny considered the challenge Steve was setting for himself and instead turned into Steve and trailed his lips over his partner's cheek until they reached his mouth. He controlled the kisses from the difficult angle until Steve moved against him and made him gasp.

"Hmm," he breathed out. "I want it made clear right now, that the only fireworks allowed inside this house, are the kind we're making right now. And here. In this bedroom. Is that clear?"

"I can't guarantee that."

"Steve!"


	7. That Blessed Arrangement

**Chapter Summary: It's all about the last peppermint patty. And Steve. Him too. That's all Danny wants.**

* * *

"I think you were about five when he asked you," Doris said to Danny while he set the table for dinner. Steve was helping her with the cooking.

"I honestly don't even remember," Danny said. Really, he had no recollection. They were five; he didn't remember everything from back then, just snippets. Somehow this one had fallen through the cracks.

"I do," Steve said, turning his head to smile at Danny mischievously. "You said yes, but only if you could have the last peppermint patty I had. I believe I said I'd give you anything you wanted."

"You remember that?" Doris asked, laughing.

Steve shrugged, "Not much else though."

"It was the Royal Wedding. It was on the television, on the news, I think."

"What Royal Wedding?" Danny asked. "Wait… Charles and Diana?"

"That's the one," Doris answered, bringing the last of the food to the table and gesturing for Danny to sit while Steve finished pouring their drinks. "You were both so cute; you acted out the whole thing and pretended that Mary was the Priest. She was only two, she barely had any clue what was going on but Steve kept trying to make her ask 'Do you?' so that you could both answer."

Danny laughed trying to remember, but the problem was he had so many memories of Steve being weird and him going along with things or putting up token arguments, that they'd pretty much all merged. He remembered the oddest things, but this one seemed to have slipped his mind.

"So that was our first wedding," Danny mused. "That'll be the source of all the 'old married couple' jokes then."

"Except it didn't happen. I mean, as far as I know, Mary isn't registered to officiate weddings, and certainly wasn't back then, so it doesn't count." Steve said it all with a straight face and Doris and Danny glanced at each other, then back to Steve, before bursting out laughing again.

Steve smirked, unable to hold the serious face for any longer.

* * *

They were in the back garden with Danny's mom. She was sitting at the garden table; drink in hand, sunglasses firmly in place. She'd been enjoying the peace and quiet, until Steve and Danny barged in after closing a case (Danny had been complaining because it was Saturday and he hated working on Saturdays), grabbed beers from the fridge and had come out to join her.

"I don't know why you complain about it. It's been happening since Five-0 started, you've used it against me yourself," Steve's voice carried through the house.

"Yes, but it's like the criminals of the island put out a flier with standard witty remarks to make when being arrested by us. They could at least put a bit more thought into it.," Danny argued back.

"What's going on now?" Danny's mom asked, pulling her glasses down and looking at the two of them.

"Another one asked how long we'd been married," Danny supplied, before taking a long drink.

"Do you want me to go answer him for you?" She asked, keeping a smile at bay when Danny just turned and gave her a withering look.

"Sorry, what?"

She looked between the two boys then crossed her legs, sitting forward and resting her elbows on the table. "It's been about twenty years now, I should think… give or take a month."

"What's she talking about?" Danny pointed at his mother but his eyes were questioning Steve.

The other man shrugged in response, but it seemed shifty to Danny, like he did know exactly what his mother was yammering about.

"You were around the age Grace is now, come to think of it. The school play. You don't remember?"

Danny looked blankly between the two of them. Steve was keeping quiet but he clearly knew something.

"Umm…" Danny thought back, running a hand through his hair. "What, the one about the doctor that met his wife while working with homeless kids? What was that called again?"

"I don't remember," Steve said, putting his drink down. "It was named for the lead kid I think. Total rip-off of Oliver, just without the music."

"Steve played the doctor," Danny's mom smiled fondly. "You played one of the orphans. A mouthy one if I recall. But when Steve was learning his lines he needed help so you read along to the part of the wife. I must have watched you two get fake married every day for about two weeks. Even I knew the dialogue for both parts by the end of it."

A smile slowly crept onto Danny's face as memories flooded back to him of them practicing in the living room or his bedroom, or out on Steve's lanai. When there wasn't anyone around, Steve would kiss Danny on the cheek every time they got to the 'you may now kiss the bride' part.

"I remember doing that. I remember Steve doing it for real on stage and after kissing poor Katie Lewis, he rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth as if he'd been poisoned for kissing a girl."

"Never did that when we practiced though, did I?" Steve said, smugly. Which was just another reminder to Danny that although they'd never actually done anything remotely 'romantic' until they were in their thirties, they'd been courting since they were kids. Somehow, Steve had realized the deeper part of their relationship a lot earlier than Danny had. The hints probably hadn't been all that subtle, but if you weren't looking for them, you just didn't notice.

"Guess we've forgotten a lot of anniversaries," Danny joked.

"But it doesn't count," Steve shook his head. "We can say 'I do' as much as we want, but to this day we've not had anyone qualified actually declare us official. It's no different than when we were five."

"Five?" Danny's mom asked.

"Doris told us a story about how we got fake married when we were five. She's threatened us with hidden photos. I'm not so sure they exist. If they do, I claim Photoshop," Danny answered as his mom giggled behind her hand.

"If Doris has photos, they aren't Photoshopped. I'd believe her," she laughed.

* * *

They were sitting outside Steve's house. They'd taken to just being out here, on their chairs, watching the waves and the sunsets. It was the best way they'd found to just relax and _**be**_ after a case was wrapped up.

The thing was, a case hadn't wrapped up, it was just the end of another weekend and Steve himself realized that right now he had a face. Danny kept shooting him little glances every so often, but seemed unwilling to break the silence.

Throughout the day, Steve had become a bit more antsy, nervous even.

He'd known Danny all of his life, but he was still nervous because he knew what he was about to do. What he was psyching himself up to do. He'd been thinking about it for quite some time. To be honest, his mom was quite right, and he'd been thinking about it since he was five, but kids were just kids. They had been playing. No matter how many memories he had of playing those games with Danny, no matter how many jokes people flung at them these days, actually doing something about it was nerve-racking.

On the other hand, he was confident. In himself, in Danny, and in what they meant to each other.

When they were little he'd always been drawn to the blond. He'd vied for his attention, he'd never been able to resist a chance to make him smile, and he'd always found excuses to reach out to him. In return, Danny had always been by his side when he'd needed him, and even when he hadn't. Danny was a mother hen when Steve was sick, if he got too big for his breeches then Danny was there to bring him back to Earth and he could read him like a book. For Danny, that book would always be open, even if some files from the last ten years were redacted, Danny could see the indentations under the black marks.

"You going to tell me what's going on over there?" Danny asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Let's get married," Steve blurted.

"Again?" Danny smiled, not realizing how serious Steve was.

Steve climbed out of his seat and scooted over to Danny's. He knelt on the ground in front of him and grabbed his hand. "I'm being serious Danny, let's get married."

"This is you proposing?" Danny asked, slack-jawed. He closed his mouth audibly, recovering himself then said, "I don't think it's even legal, babe."

Steve looked down, shaking his head. When he looked back up he met Danny's eyes and put as much care into his words as he could. "Will you marry me? Or…civil u-… you know, whatever anyone wants to call it, I don't care, it's just words, we'll know what it is."

"Is this because of the jokes again? Or our moms' reminiscing lately? Because I know for a fact my mom called yours for photos and have been acting like they're planning our real one."

"No, Danny, no. Like people are pressuring me? No," he frowned at the other man, taking a breath before he could articulate himself properly. "All anyone else does is see what we mean to each other, piece of paper declaring it or not. It's not even about that. I just want us to have that day, you know? Be able to stand up in front of our friends and family and tell them that this is who we are; this is what we mean to each other. There's nothing wrong with celebrating that. And besides, putting a ring on your finger might help make sure no one else thinks they stand a chance with you."

He smiled at the end, hoping Danny understood.

Danny's free hand reached to cup Steve's cheek and he leaned forward, so close that their foreheads were almost touching. "You are amazing," he sighed. "Crazy, but amazing."

"What does that mean?" Steve asked, his hopes high but not willing to show his happiness until Danny actually said yes.

"It means that since someone is going to have to keep an eye on you for the rest of your life, it may as well _**officially**_ be me. Since I planned on doing it anyway."

That was good enough.

In an instant, Steve had surged to his feet, pulling Danny with him and into a fierce hug. He didn't want to let go, he didn't want to loosen his hold. He'd spent his childhood earning Danny's trust, loyalty, respect, joy and love. He'd lost him after his mother faked her death and he'd spent those years regretting it, funneling his attention into his job instead. But when fate brought them back together he jumped in with eyes wide open and full of hope and now things felt like they had fallen into place like they were always supposed to. He moved a hand to the back of Danny's head, maneuvering around so he could press his lips to Danny's in the most promising way he could.

"By the way, there is one condition," Danny said, looking up at Steve soberly.

"What would that be?" Steve hedged.

"I want the last peppermint patty."

Steve took a moment, then burst into laughter, rocking forward into Danny and then taking him down to the ground where they tangled in a heap of legs and arms. As they lay there, he pulled Danny in and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I'll give you anything you want."

"Just you will be fine," Danny said.

"And a peppermint patty."

"And that, yes."


	8. Finder's Keepers

**Chapter Summary: On their wedding day, Steve thinks back to when they first met.**

* * *

Steve always thought his heart was on his sleeve when it came to Danny, but through their entire lives, Danny never seemed to take that last leap and assume Steve was interested in him in a decidedly romantic way. Well, not just romantic, but a down and dirty way as well that included stripping Danny naked and having his wicked way with him. Because he wanted all of Danny and he wanted to see, hear and feel Danny in ways no one else could.

Okay, fine, so as kids it wasn't about that. When they were young, Steve just knew that he liked Danny so much that he wanted to keep him. And playground rules applied as far as he was concerned. So… finders keepers.

It was an early sign of his territorial behavior. Of his possessive streak. These could be hindrances but they'd stood him in good stead as a SEAL, as a leader. His thoughts were on the mission, on it being a success, but it was also about the team around him, on them coming through it in one piece.

As a child, it more than likely manifested itself as a stubbornness. Perhaps the odd tantrum was thrown when he was a toddler, a huffiness as a child, pig-headedness as a preteen and arrogance as a teenager. That was just in general, in his everyday life; whether that be over the toy he wanted to play with, the homework he didn't want to do, the food he didn't want to eat, the bedtime he didn't want to adhere to, or the unfairness of being grounded.

Danny, though. Danny was another story altogether. He sparked something in Steve that fell somewhat in-between all these emotions in a way he couldn't explain. Because Danny frustrated him, but made him incredibly happy. Sometimes Danny did something he didn't like; sometimes he did something he loved. Sometimes Danny inspired him; sometimes he locked him in place. In the end, he was everything.

Being blond in Hawaii isn't rare, of course it isn't. But it's not exactly 'native'. Technically, Steve isn't either, but he was born there and understood aspects of the culture that could surprise people. Seeing someone with a shock of blond hair stumble into school on that first day, let go of his mom's hand and run to play with the toy fire engine was a sight that little Stevie was fixed onto.

He remembered that he was holding a police car in his hand and had spent his first five minutes in the classroom running the wheels of the car over every flat surface he could find as part of his exploration of his new surroundings. He'd made his way over to the blond, all the time, dragging the toy car over desks and walls until he came upon where the little boy was sitting on the floor examining the components of the fire truck.

"Hi," he'd said.

A head had shot up and big blue eyes had looked at him openly. "Hi," had been the response.

Steve had grinned so wide his smile could have powered a whole city, and he'd plonked himself down next to the blond and proceeded to make friends.

He'd found Danny that day, and he was going to keep him.

Over the years that followed, he'd made it a point of keeping hold of Danny in some form. When they were still small enough and had sleepovers, they'd shared the same bed and Steve had cuddled to Danny like he was his own teddy bear. Even when they'd started using sleeping bags, he'd still gravitated towards Danny.

They played together, did homework together, if one got sick the other wasn't far behind and everyone just referred to them as 'Steve and Danny'. It tripped off the tongue easily. They were a pair. He liked Danny more than he liked anyone else and had since that first day, but why he'd found Danny so appealing was a mystery. Three year old Steve had never fully given him an answer beyond seeing a mess of blond hair and it drawing his attention.

He wasn't sure if he liked blonds because of Danny or he liked Danny because he liked blonds. His favorite TV show characters were the blonds and yes, that included Miss Piggy. There was one blonde he wasn't so keen on though. Her name was Louise and she'd moved to Hawaii when they were in the 5th Grade. She was blonde, from the mainland and had somehow decided that she wanted to be friends with Danny because she thought they'd have things in common.

Adult Steve knew this wasn't a crime, but ten year old Steve got a bee in his bonnet pretty quickly about someone invading his turf. He made a point of pulling Danny away from where she was talking to him only for Danny to hit him on the shoulder and tell him off for being rude. Or he'd sidle up and throw an arm around Danny and shoot her a withering look that was meant to signify one thing: he's my best friend, hands off.

Because he was the one who'd found Danny first, and he was going to keep him.

If plans were to be made, Steve would be there if Danny was and vice versa. By the time they were sixteen they were frequently found on the beach on a Saturday morning, usually in a crowd of friends from school. Danny didn't like to surf so he'd be guarding everyone's things while they were in the water.

If Steve wiped out it could sometimes be attributed to a lack of concentration if his eyes drifted back to shore, where Danny would be sitting on his towel in just a pair of board shorts and Steve's sunglasses and looking all kinds of hot.

Steve was good on a board, but he was never destined to be great because he never spent as much time surfing as the other kids. Usually, he'd give up first because back on shore there was a danger of someone spotting the hot blond boy and trying to talk to him.

Steve always put a stop to it by joining him again. Once he'd worked out his own sneaky way of getting Danny to cuddle with him on their towels, he'd been smugly satisfied that they'd be left alone to doze in the sun. It was one of his favorite things to do: sun, sand, surf, the noises of the waves and people splashing and having fun, while Danny lay beside him, an arm thrown over Steve's chest while Steve held Danny's shoulders, pulling him close.

And Steve wished he was brave enough to make more of a move, to make his teenage intentions clearer. But he sucked at the final step. He sucked at asking for what he wanted beyond the simple. And he never wanted to risk Danny not wanting the same thing.

Maybe they were both dumb, because they certainly endured enough mocking from the rougher crowd at school, who thought themselves cool because they'd shout homophobic crap about the two of them. Neither had risen to the bait since the time they both got hurt defending themselves.

And if Steve took it upon himself to clutch Danny closer when he felt threatened, then so be it.

Because he'd found Danny years before, and he was going to keep him, no matter what people thought.

But he couldn't keep him forever, and he'd hated his father for years because of the forced separation after his mother 'died'. His father hadn't been happy about him keeping in contact with friends from home but there was no way he was going cold turkey where Danny was concerned.

But life got in the way and despite how fiercely he'd loved Danny, he was well aware that both of them were busy and Steve's mind had taken a new direction. He was determined and hard-headed and he had another dream of joining the Navy. Once there, he'd focused so much that Danny had drifted from him. It had never been intentional, but they'd lost contact and he just didn't want to bother Danny if he'd moved on with his life.

He contented himself with lulling himself to sleep thinking about good times, and wondering what they might have been up to now if things hadn't changed so dramatically. Would Danny have stayed in Hawaii rather than going back to Jersey? What would they have become? Would he have sucked up the courage to ask Danny, and would he have returned the feelings?

He'd always been a practical man, very routed in reality and yet a part of him still had a superstitious side. After all, he was born and raised in Hawaii and they had a lot of legends and folklore that was respected more deeply than other places. So a part of Steve had to wonder if his meeting Danny again in Hawaii right when he needed him the most, was it coincidence or had he sent some sort of plea out to the cosmos and had it been answered?

Years of 'what ifs' swirling in his brain, or going to sleep to the idea of him and Danny being in the same zip code again, of getting what he ultimately wanted had been answered and now here they were.

Steve had risked it after years of telling himself he would if he got the chance. He'd brought up the past, added a question and Danny had answered.

He'd found Danny again, and he was going to keep him. This time, he wasn't letting go.

So much so that a few years down the road they found themselves in adjoining suites at the Hilton getting ready for their wedding.

Since they weren't having a honeymoon, their family and friends had insisted that they have the wedding somewhere other than their own back garden. It seemed a little silly to Steve, because what difference did it make if they had the ceremony on the beach at the house or the beach at a hotel? But when their moms had come together to arrange things, they'd gone with the fancier option.

As per Grace's orders, they weren't supposed to see each other beforehand. Their adjoining room doors had been locked and checked by Kono, so they could do little to see what the other was doing right now.

Steve moved to the door and knocked lightly, calling Danny's name.

When a voice answered it was close to the door. "Steve? What is it?"

Steve slid down the door to sit pressed up to it, not caring that his suit might get a little wrinkled. "Just wanted to check you're okay."

There was a rustling sound on the other side of the door, then Danny's voice answered, low down, like he'd mirrored Steve's movement. "Were you worried I'd back out or something?"

Steve turned his head closer to the crack between the doors, as if that would make his voice clearer to the other side. "No. But I seem to remember you telling my mother once that you'd never get married again. Yet, here we are."

"I was angry, she was busting my balls about stuff she had no clue about, returning after everything thought she was dead and I flipped. Trust me; I'm perfectly happy to be marrying you. After this one though, that's it. Never doing it again."

Steve had been angry too when his mother had returned. It was because of her that he nearly lost Danny, that he did for a while. It was only sheer luck that brought them back together. Steve shook his head of the thoughts and smiled at Danny's last statement. This was it for them.

"What was it like? Marrying Rachel? The wedding day, I mean…"

"It was hell," Danny said, then took a breath and changed his tack. "No, I don't mean that. That wasn't fair. It was… stressful, nerve-racking, joyous and by later on in the evening… pretty drunken. I think that's how all weddings should be."

"I'm not stressed. Or nervous," Steve said. And it was true, he wasn't. He felt calm, composed. He knew he was doing what he wanted and he knew Danny was happy so what was there to be nervous about? If anything the anxiousness he felt was purely impatience. He wanted to get to it.

"Nothing about you has ever been 'typical' though, Steven."

"Are you nervous?"

"Little bit. I don't want to mess anything up."

"You mean today or…?"

There was silence for a few moments. "Both."

Steve ran his fingers over the wood of the door. "We're going to be fine, partner."

The door to Steve's room rattled and Kono popped her head around the corner. She smiled at Steve's position, sitting with his knees pulled up, heavily leaning on the door and she snapped a picture.

"What?" She asked, innocently. "Grace said we need to document everything. Come on, we've got to go down the stairs while Grace takes Danny down the elevator."

He could hear muffled sounds from the other side of the door, where Danny was talking to Grace and somehow he knew by the words he'd picked up that she'd taken a photo of Danny in whatever sitting position he'd been in too. No doubt these would be side by side in a photo album later.

There was no walking down the aisle, not in a traditional sense. Instead they came from opposite sides and met in the middle by the officiator.

Steve took one look at Danny, looking perfect in his similar suit, loose but smart, hair styled perfectly and looking incredible and had muttered to himself, 'finders keepers'.

Because he wanted everyone in the crowd around them to know that he'd been the one to find Danny and now he was officially keeping him.

Later, they sat side by side, both having had quite a bit to drink. They'd survived the stories and toasts and speeches from embarrassing childhood memories to embarrassing adult memories and now they nursed glasses of champagne and leaned back on their chairs after their plates had been taken away. Their moms had made a point of having a four-course meal at the reception. It was overkill, surely… but it had been a damned good meal.

Steve's hand reached out and clamped around Danny's wrist, his thumb idly stroking against the skin. "Take your ring off a second," he said.

Danny looked back at him puzzled. "You want a divorce already?" He joked.

"Just take it off." Steve reached over and helped him. "I didn't tell you before, but I got it engraved on the inside."

Danny lifted the ring in his hands, letting it catch the light. "Finders… Keepers…" He turned back to Steve. "You said that during the ceremony. And you used variations on 'finding' and 'keeping' in your vows. I'm a detective, I notice these things. You feel like enlightening me now?"

"I've been thinking it since the day we met, and you were sitting there playing with your red fire engine."

Danny smiled and shook his head in exasperation. "So this entire time, our whole lives, you've been playing by the rules of the playground?"

Steve blushed but agreed. "Something like that. I found you. And I'm keeping you. Possession is nine tenths of the law."

"It's a good thing you have me around, because your grasp of the law is pretty terrible." Danny put the ring back on and leaned over the arm of his chair to press his forehead against Steve's. "I love you, you animal."

"I love you, too."

"I tell you what. After all this is done, and we head on up to that nice adjoining suite we've got, you can show me just how much we belong to each other. Whatever you find underneath this fancy suit I'm wearing, is yours to keep, babe."

"Can't argue with playground logic," Steve grinned and pressed his lips to Danny's, filling their kiss with promise. And, okay, possessiveness. But that was just who he was, and Danny loved him for it anyway.

Because Danny knew that Steve found him years ago, and he was letting Steve keep him.


End file.
